RWANDAN OFFICIALS ON NAIROBI AGREEMENT AND THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000038

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA RW
SUBJECT: RWANDAN OFFICIALS ON NAIROBI AGREEMENT AND THE
KIVUS


Classified By: Ambassador Michael R. Arietti, reason 1.4 (B/D)


1. (C) Summary. Ambassador spoke with Foreign Minister
Charles Murigande on January 14 and Great Lakes Special Envoy
Ambassador Richard Sezibera on January 15 regarding the Kivus
Conference, events in eastern Congo, and the Nairobi
Agreement. The Government of Rwanda (GOR) will consider
attending the Kivus Conference, while claiming its absence
from the discussions has been "helpful." The Rwandans will
not comment on the FDLR plan, tabled by the Government of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in accordance with the
Nairobi Agreement. The GOR is finalizing its list of
"genocidaires," which is intended as a "data base" for the
Congolese, and currently numbers approximately 6900 persons.
The Rwandans proposed that the Tripartite-Plus members states
use the Commission meetings in Bujumbura in February to
concentrate on the "audit" of past agreements requested by
the USG, rather than attempt to do so in advance of the
Commission meetings. The Rwandans also agreed on the
importance of establishing the various commissions previously
agreed to, including the Tripartite Refugee Commission. End
summary.


2. (C) Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Murigande on
January 14 in Kigali. Murigande agreed on the importance of
setting up the Tripartite Refugee Commission, and said the
GOR had formally written to the DRC proposing the two
governments do so. He said the GOR would not comment on the
FDLR plan tabled by the DRC, as the DRC had told the GOR at
the Heads of State summit in Addis Ababa that GOR comments
"were not wanted." He said the GOR was working on the list
of genocidaires suspected to be in the DRC, as mandated by
the Nairobi Agreement, but understood the list would not be
used until FDLR troops were cantoned. Ambassador suggested
the GOR develop a short list of FDLR members wanted on
genocide charges for that purpose. Murigande agreed that
some positive speeches on ethnic relations and reconciliation
had been given at the Kivus Conference, but said he had
received "more negative" assessments from some attendees. He
noted the GOR had now received an invitation to the Kivus
Conference, and the government would decide whether or not to
attend.


3. (C) Ambassador also met January 15 with Ambassador
Sezibera, who echoed many of the Foreign Minister's comments.
The GOR would not comment on the FDLR plan, he said, as the
DRC had not shared all sections of the plan, particularly the
military "annex." He did not think GOR comments were
expected by the DRC. The GOR was nearly finished with the
genocidaires list, nearly 7000 names, culled from the
extensive "information-gathering phase" of the gacaca court
system. The GOR saw this list as a "data base" for the DRC
government, he said, to use when screening FDLR or other
potential returnees to Rwanda. Ambassador again encouraged a
separate, shorter, more focused list of FDLR members
suspected of participation in the 1994 genocide. Sezibera
explained that earlier Most Wanted lists of FDLR leadership
were intended as lists of persons who belonged to a genocidal
organization, as opposed to those who had individually
participated in genocide.


4. (C) Sezibera said that the GOR had purposely refrained
from commenting on the Kivus Conference, and was unsure if it
should attend the Conference closing session, despite having
recently received an invitation. While "we support the
conference," he said, "we think our absence has been useful,"
as discussions ensued without the GOR's potentially
polarizing presence. Ambassador noted the USG's expanding
efforts in the Kivus, with a Kinshasa embassy officer
stationed in Goma, a Military Information Support Team (MIST)
coming soon to the Kivus, and plans underway to train a
special DRC battalion. Sezibera welcomed the expanding
efforts, and said the MIST message must be a simple one --
the FDLR must leave the Congo. He also said that the DRC
should use its most effective fighting force, those troops
serving under General Nkunda, and should allow the GOR to
assist in "mobilizing" this "counter force" to take on the
FDLR (with no Rwandan troops involved, he added).


5. (C) Sezibera next suggested that the "audit" of previous
Tripartite-Plus Commission agreements, requested by the USG
as the facilitator, be conducted at the Commission sessions
at the end of February in Bujumbura, rather than before that

meeting. He finished by forcefully arguing for a special
Security Council resolution aimed at the FDLR (as provided
for in the Nairobi Agreement),as part of a concerted
international effort to pressure the FDLR and provoke its
disbanding. Sezibera added that the lack of DRC military
capacity makes threats to use force against the FDLR ring
hollow.


6. (C) Comment. The Rwandans appear willing to attend the
Kivus Conference, but are not sure they would be welcome,
given the high feelings among some of the delegations to the
Conference. They are readying their list of genocidaires, as
required by the Nairobi Agreement, a lengthy list, whose
utility is not entirely clear to this mission. As Ambassador
suggested to the Rwandans, a tighter focus on FDLR members
and members of other negative forces who participated in the
genocide might be more useful. There is a clear need for
better GOR/GDRC cooperation in planning the specific tactics
for removing the FDLR from the DRC. We have stressed to the
GOR that it needs to welcome and take advantage of the Kivus
Conference, which at a minimum seems to have made the removal
of the FDLR a public priority of the DRC government and the
people of the Kivus. End comment.


ARIETTI